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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE
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40
Drawn by A. H. Bumstead
A SKETCH MAP SHOWING THE ROUTE OF HASSANEIN BEY THROUGH THE
LIBYAN DESERT
The results of the author's journey include the determination of the exact positions of the
wells of Zieghen and the Oasis of Kufra, resulting in changes of 62 and 24 miles respectively
from the positions hitherto assigned to these places on maps of Africa; the discovery of the
oases of Arkenu and Ouenat, previously unknown; the discovery of a route from southwestern
Egypt across the Erdi Plateau of French Equatorial Africa into Darfur, and the determination
of elevations along the entire route.
the country, for they say foreigners mean
domination, domination means paying
taxes, and they do not want to pay taxes!
Therefore, the best way to avoid taxes is
to prevent any stranger from entering the
region.
Now, who are the outsiders who come
to their country? They are European
explorers - Christians.
Therefore, no
Christians are permitted to enter.
Explorers had been forbidden to go
into the interior, and with the exception
of the German scientist Rohlfs, who in
1879 boldly ventured to Kufra but es
caped with little more than his life, this
prohibition had been effective. But when
I, a Moslem, the son of a religious man
and a friend of their head man, arrived,
they scratched their heads. Here was a
foreigner whom they did not want, but
they could not convict him on religious
grounds. I had to be tolerated, tempo
rarily at any rate.
My first objective from Sollum was